STEPHANIE HESS: A DAY AT THE ZOO

Solomon Fine Art is delighted to host an exhibition of sixteen new bronzes by the popular and hugely talented sculptor Stephanie Hess. Following a recent commission for Dublin Zoo’s red panda habitat and inspired by her time spent observing the zoo’s inhabitants during that process, Hess has created a menagerie of characterful and colourful creatures which evoke the magic and excitement of a day at the zoo. 

Hess creates bronze works inspired by the animal kingdom. She observes her subjects with a playful eye, interpreting their characteristics with a sense of whimsy and tenderness. For Stephanie, sculpture is all about joy, and this is reflected in the bright and innovative patinas she carefully develops for her pieces. These unique patinas are exclusive to the artist’s work and are as bright, brilliant and playful as the creatures they adorn.

Stephanie Hess was born in Singapore to Irish parents with a taste for adventure. After pursuing a degree in Art History at Trinity College Dublin she lived widely throughout Europe and the US before settling in South Africa in 2000 where she began to explore ceramics and bronze sculpture under the tutelage of both national and international artists.

Currently based in Dublin, Hess exhibits widely throughout Ireland and is included in many private collections and gardens in Ireland, the UK, Europe, The US, South Africa and Hong Kong. She is a regular exhibitor at Sculpture in Context in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin and in the Royal Ulster Academy’s Annual Exhibition.  In 2015 Hess was awarded the ESB Moran Award for Outstanding Sculpture at the prestigious Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition. In 2023 her sculpture March Hare was acquired by The Doyle Collection for The Westbury Hotel.  In 2021/2022 Hess was commissioned to create The Lord Mayor of Dublin Awards, The Freedom of the City of Dublin Award and the inaugural Lord Mayor of Dublin Youth Awards. Her Red Panda sculpture, recently commissioned by Dublin Zoo, can be viewed at the Red Panda enclosure in the newly opened Himalayan Hills habitat.